Beyond Irish Potatoes

I guess my family liked Irish oatmeal since we haven't turned back to Quaker's Oats since we were first introduced...

Oatmeal is a popular breakfast item in Ireland and the U.K. It's thick and creamy. Each grain gives you something to chew on, whereas rolled oats, popular in the instant oatmeal packets, form a mushy consistency once cooked. When I was in Ireland, I tried to get oatmeal every breakfast opportunity I had. I loved heaping on piles of brown sugar and mixing it with milk. It made a perfect start to the day.

My mom decided to buy a few bags of the oats in Ireland to reproduce the dish at home. While Irish oats may take an extra 30 minutes to prepare, they are well worth the wait. Steeping in hot milk and absorbing the moisture, the oats become creamier because of this preparation. Rolled oats cooked in hot water can’t achieve the same texture or flavor. Perhaps it is because rolled oats have been cheated out of proper preparation for so long, that now the only way to prepare them is to pour boiling water over it.